Boutonnieres

Boutonnieres

Wait!  You’re not finished just yet.  The next thing you must do at the florist’s is order the boutonnieres for your best man and groomsmen. These are spiffy bright little flowers and are sometimes called “bachelors buttons” (not to be confused with the real flower called a “batchelors button,” which is something else altogether—forget we even mentioned it!). Again you want the advice of your bride, because the boutonnieres must coordinate and harmonize with everyone else’s flowers and ensembles.  Yes, life is complicated, isn’t it, for a groom?

The boutonnieres are worn in a lapel, usually the left one, at the wedding.  Keep them in a cool—but not cold–dry place until about 30 minutes before the ceremony and then give them to the best man to hand out for all the guys to put on.  That way they’ll be crisp and fresh for the big moment (and no one will have dropped theirs and stepped on it.).  Just make sure all the groomsmen have them securely fastened to their lapels at the same level—and on the same lapel. This is typically accomplished with a long pin and someone always sticks it in a finger and draws blood, which doesn’t look too great on the front of a formal shirt.  So warn everyone to be careful! Both corsages and boutonnieres are best attached by someone else, preferably of steady hands and good eyesight, standing in front of the person who will wear it.  This is another tip to give your groomsmen, who probably aren’t accustomed to having other men attach flowers to their breasts.  Tell them to get over it.  You’re getting married in a few minutes and don’t have time to fool around!

All of this flower stuff will quickly relieve you of a couple of hundred bucks—easily much, much more, so stick it your budget somewhere, and don’t forget to order the corsages and boutonnieres!